Automatic ash dump



March 23 w26.,

E.. H. SHOLAF:

AUTOMATIC ASH DUMP Filed Oct. 26J 1925 Humm" L) a Y www 5% Patented Mar.- 23, 1926.

UNITED sra.

AUTOMATC ASH D'llfl?.

Application filed October 26, 1925. Serial No. 61,964.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known'thatl, EDWARD H. SHOLAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennesseeiave invented a new and useful Automatic Ash Dump, of which the following` is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to an automatic ash dump designed primarily for use across the opening usually provided beneath the grate basket of an open fire place.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an ash dump which will open automatically when the accumulated ashes are.

heavy enough to over balance the movable members of the dump, said members being so mounted as to return` automatically to closed position after the dumping operation.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as. the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the. preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings.:

Figure l is a top plan view of the automatic ash dump'.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 Figure l, the position of the movable members during the dumping operation being indicated lby broken lines.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 5 Figure 2.

Referring` to the figures by characters of reference l designates the frame of the structure, the same being formed with a depending flange 3 along the inner edges thereof and with an outwardly extending flange ll, this latter flange being designed to rest upon the supporting surface close to the opening into which the flange 3 entends7 when in use. A rabbet 5 is providedvin the top of the frame along the end portions of the opening therein and projecting inwardly from the sides of the opening adjacent the respective ends are stop lugs 6.

The opening in the frame is normally closed by two oppositely disposed shutters 7 each shutter being provided, at its sides with depending ears 8. These ears of each shutter are adapted to receive a removable pivot rod or bolt 9 which is extended through the sides of the frame and held in place/by a nut l() or in any other-manner desired. The outer enc s of the shutters are adapted to be seated' in the rabbets 5 andthey are normally held there by weights 1l which are formed integral with the shutters and extend downwardly therefrom between the pivot rods 9 and the end walls of the frame l. rPhe opposite ends of the shutters normally come together as shown in Figure 2 and the upper surfaces of these shutters are curved inwardly and downwardly from their outer ends to their inner or meeting ends so that the shutters and the side 'flangesv 3 of the frame normally cooperate to form a shallow hopper as indicated generally at l2 in Figure 2. L

As before explained this device is adapted to be placed across the opening usually provided under a grate basket. As the ashes fall from the grate they will drop into the hopper 12 and be supported by the shutters 7. lVhen the weight of the ashes becomes sufficient to overbalance the weights l1, the shutters will swing downwardly at their inner or meeting ends as shown by broken lines in Figure 2, so that the ashes will gravitate between the shutters. ly thereafter the weights ll will return the shutters to their normal positions. The downward swinging movement of the shutters is limited by the stop lugs G.

By curving the shutters as shown it becomes possible to locate the weights ll on the lower sides of the shutters and nearer the ends of the frame than would otherwise be possible and, consequently, the shutters will close more readily than if they should be straight.

An important feature of the present invention is the location of the pivot rods. These are located under the shutters and the bearings are also located below the top of the frame. It thus becomesV unncesssary to provide protecting pieces over the bearings or to have upstanding portions on the frame as has heretofore been the practice. Ey locating the bearings above the frame as heretofore they quickly burn out under the hot ashes deposited thereon.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with a frame, of oppositely disposed shutters therein, pivot devices extending under the respective shutters, depending means upon the shuttersl lmmediatej engaging the pivot devices, Weights depending :troni the outer end portions of the respective shutters for holdingl said end portions normally bearing downwardly-on the frame Vund .the inner end portions. of the shutters normally closed together, said shutters'and the sides of the trarne cooperating to provide an ash receiving hopper, the upper surfaces of the shutters converging downwardly toward their inner ends.

2. The combination with a traine havingrecesses in the end portions thereof, of in- Wardly and'downwardly extended shutters Within the traine having their outer ends normally seated in the recesses, pivotal connections between the freine and slnitters said connections being located below the shutters and belovv the top of the freine, and ineens carried by the shutters adjacent the outer ends thereof for holding said outer ends normally in the recesses and theV inner ends of the shutters normally closed together.

In testimony' that I claiin the foregoing as lny own7 I have hereto atixed iny signature.

EDVARD I-I. SIIOLAR. 

